chastity, he ^ made a covenant with his eyes,' lest he should first see without caution what he might afterwards love against his will. For it is very greatly that the flesh drags downwards, and the image of a shape once bound on the heart by means of the eye is with difficulty unloosed by the hand of great struggling. So then that we may not deal with things lascivious in thought we have need to take precaution; Eve Jell by unyuanled looking. The Gospel (iniiclpated. 517 because it is not befitting to look at what is not lawful to be Book lusted after. P'or that the mind may be preserved pure in - thought, the eyes must be forced away from the wantonness of their pleasure, like a kind of ravishing unto sin. For neither would Eve have touched tlie forbidden tree, except she had looked on it first witliout taking heed; since it is written, And tJte ivornan saw Ihat ilte tree was good for food ^ Gen. 3, and thai it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree delightful to ' look apon, and she took of the frait thereof and did eat. Hence, therefore, it is to be estimated with what great control we who are living a mortal life ought to restrain our sight towards forbidden objects; if the very mother of the living came to death through means of the eyes. Hence too under the voice of Judaea, who, whereas by seeing she coveted external things, parted with interior blessings, the Prophet says; Mine eye hath robbed mine heart. For by Lam. 3 lusting after things visible, she lost the invisible virtues. She,^^* then, who lost the interior fruits by the exterior sight, did by the eye of the body endure the ' robbing of the heart.'
Hence by ourselves, for safely keeping purity of heart, there ought also to be preserved the disciplining of the exterior senses. For with whatever degree of excellency the mind may be enriched, with whatever amount of gravity it may be invigorated, yet the carnal senses ring outwardly with a something childish, and except they were restrained by the weight of interior gravity, and as it w^ere by a sort of manly energy, they drag the soul unstrung to things loose and light.
5. Let us then see in what manner blessed Job kept in by a manly' vigour of \visdom all that the flesh might breathe ofi ' juvein him of loose and childish. For he sa} s, / made a covenant "''^•' with mineeyen, and because he quenched not only the doing but also the thinking of lust in himself, going on he added; that I should not even think on a maid. For he knew that lust has need to be checked in the heart, he knew by the gift of the Holy Spirit that our Redeemer on His coming would go beyond the precepts of the Law, and put away from His Elect not only lustful indulgence of the flesh, but also of the heart, saying, It hath been written, Thou shall not commit Matt. 5, adultery? But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a^''^^' 518 The serpent asmils thoufjht when resisted in deed.
Job 31, woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery "Hist" ^^^^* ^'^' '^ ^'^'^ heart. For by Moses lust perpetrated, but by the Author of purity lust imagined, is condemned. For hence it is that the first Pastor of the Church says to the iPet.i,(jisciples; Wherefore gird up the loins of your 7nind, he sober, and hope perfectly in the grace that is offered to you. For to ' gird up the loins' of the flesh is to withhold lust from accomplishment, but ' to gird up the loins of the mind,' is to restrain it from the imagining thereof as well. Hence it is that the Angel who addresses John is described as being Eev. 1, ' girt above the paps with a golden girdle.' For because the purity of the New Testament puts restraint upon lust of the heart likewise, the Angel who appeared therein, came * girt' in the breast. Whom a golden girdle rightly binds, because whoever is a citizen of the country Above does not now forsake impurity from dread of punishment, but from the love of charity. Now the wickedness of lust is committed either in thought or deed. For our crafty enemy when he is driven away from, the carrying out of the deed, makes it his business to defile by secret thought. Hence too it is said to Gen. 3, the serpent by the Lord, Thou shall creep on the breast and belly. That is, * the serpent creeps with his belly,' when the gliding enemy by the human members subject to him calls lust into exercise even to the fulfilling of the deed; but ' the serpent creeps with the breast,' when those whom he cannot pollute in the deed of lust, he does pollute in the thought. Thus one man now perpetrates lust in act of doing, to this man the serpent creeps by the belly. But another man entertains it in the mind as to be committed, and to him the serpent ' creeps by the breast.' But because through the thought we are brought to the fulfilling deeds, the serpent is rightly described first as ' creeping upon the breast,' and afterwards ' upon the belly.' Hence blessed Job because he maintained discipline even in the thought, by a single guarding mastered both ' the breast and belly of the serpent,' saying, / made a covenant with mine eyes, that I should not even think on a maid. Which same purity of heart whoever does not aim at acquiring, what else does he but drive away from himself the Author of that ])urity } whence blessed Job too directly adds; God disowns the impure in thouyht. Sin is in consent. 519 Ver. 2. For what portion would God have in me from Book above, and what inheritance would the Almiyhty hate from '- on high?
6. As though he said in plain vvoicls; * If I defile my iii. mind in thought, I can never be the ' inheritance' of Him, Who is the Author of purity.' For the rest are no good things at all, if to the eyes of the secret Judge they be not approved by the testimony of chastity. For all the virtues lift themselves up in the sight of the Creator by reciprocal aid, that because one virtue without another is either none at all or the very least one, they should be mutually supported by their alliance together. For if either humility Ibrsake chastity, or chastity abandon humility, before the Author of humility and chastity, what does either a proud chastity, or a polluted humility avail to benefit us? And so that the holy man might obtain to be owned by his Maker in the remaining particulars of good, keeping purity of the heart, let him say, / made a cooeitant with mine eyes, that I should not even think on a maid. For what portion would God have in me from above, and what inheritance would the Almiyhty have from on hiyh? As though he made the confession in plain words, saying. The Creator of the things on high refuses to own me for his possession, if in His sight my mind rots in the lowest desires.
7. But herein it should be known that that is one thing which the mind meets with from the tempting of the flesh, and another thing, when by consent it is tied and bound with gratifications. For very often it is struck by wrong thinking and resists, but very often when it conceives any thing wrong, it revolves this within itself even in the way of desire. And certainly impure thought never in the least defiles the mind when it strikes it, but when it subdues the same to itself by the taking delight. Thus it is hence the great Preacher says, Jliere hath no temptation taken you i Cor. but such as is common to man. For that is * temptation ^^' ^^* common to man,' by which we are very often reached in the thought of the heart even against our will, because this, viz.
that even things forbidden sometimes occur to the mind, this assuredly we have in our own selves derived from the burthen of human nature as subject to corruption. But henceforth it o'20 Conaent withheld keeps sin front reigning.
Job 31, is devilish and not * human' temptation, when to that which ' - the corruptibility of the flesh prompts, the mind attaches Rom. 6 itself by the consent. Hence again he says, IM not sin reign ^^' in your mortal body. For he forbad not that sin should ' be' in our mortal body, but that it should * reign in our mortal body.' Because in flesh as subject to corruption it may not * reign,' but cannot help but ' be.' For this very thing to be tempted touching sin, is sin to it, which same because so long as we live, we are not perfectly and altogether without, holy preaching seeing that it could not wholly banish the same, took away from it its ' reign' from the dwelling-place of our heart, that the unlawful longing, though it very often secretly insinuate itself as a thief in our good thoughts, at all events should not, if it should even win an entrance, exercise dominion. Accordingly the holy man in saying, / made a covenant with mine eyes, that I should not even think upon a maid, would not at all be understood, that sin did not touch his mind in thought, but that it never mastered him by the consent. For he defends his soul as the most entire possession of God against the adversary's making a prey of it, who directly subjoins, ForuJiat portion icould God have in me from above, or what inheritance would the Almighty Jiave from on high? As though he said in plain words; ' In my mortal flesh indeed I am subject to the constitution of corruption; but wherein do 1 serve the Maker, if to Him I do not defend my mind whole and entire from the consent to sin-f* It goes on; Ver. 3. Is not destruction to the micked? and estrangement to the workers of iniquity?
8. The speedy comforting of the good is the end of the wicked had regard to. For while by the destruction of those they see the evil that they escape, they account as light whatever of adversity they undergo in this life. So then let the lost sinners now go, and satisfy the desires of their gratifications; in the sentence of their end they are destined to feel that in living badly they were in love with death. But let the Elect be chastened with a temporary infliction of the rod, that strokes may reform from their wickedness those whom fatherly pitifulness keeps for an inheritance. For now the righteous man is scourged and corrected by the rod of discipline, because he is being prepared for the Father's IV.
Earthly good alloived those doomed to estrangement. 521 estate of inheritance. But the unjust man is let go in his ^^f own pleasures, because temporal good things are supplied to him in the same degree that eternal ones are denied him. The unjust man, whilst running to a deserved death, enjoys pleasures unrestrained; inasmuch as the very steers too that are destined to be slaughtered are left in free pastures. But on the other hand the righteous man is restrained from the pleasantness of transitory grati^cation, because doubtless the steer too which is assigned to life for the purpose of labour, is held under the yoke. To the Elect, earthly good in this life is denied; because sick persons too, to whom there is a hope of their living, never have allowed them by the physician every thing they long for. But to the lost sinners the good things are granted, which they long after in this life, because to the sick too who are despaired of there is nothing denied that they desire. So then let the righteous weigh well, what are the evils that await the wicked, and never envy their happiness which runs past. For what is tliere that they should admire about the joys of those, when both themselves are by a rough road making their way to the Country of Salvation, and those as it were through pleasant meadows to the pit? Therefore let the holy man say. Is not destruction to the wicked ^ and estrangement to the icorkers of iniquity? Which same term of estrangement Mvould have sounded, ^,.
harder, if the interpreter had retained it in the parlance ofnatio.' his own tongue. For what with us is called ' estrangement' is among the Hebrews termed * anathema.' And so there will then be ' estrangement' to the wicked, when they see that they are an ' anathema' to the inheritance of the Strict Judge, because here they set Him at nought by wicked practices. So then let the s\ icked flourish, strange to the flowering of the Eternal Inheritance. But let the righteous look to themselves with discreet attention, and in all their actions be in dread for that they are seen by the Lord. Whence it is fitly added directly; Ver. 4. Doth not He see my tvays, and count all my steps?
9. What does he tell of by the title of * ways' but ways of y, acting? Thus it is hence said by Jeremiah; Make your Zqx:i^ icays and your doings good. But what do we understand "^^ 522 Deyj'ees of consent incur degrees of judgment.
Job 31, by the name of ' steps,' but either the motions of men's -j^ — minds or the advancements of merits? By which ' steps' Mat.ii, indeed Truth calls us to Itself, saying. Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden. For the Lord bids us ' come to Him' not surely by the steps of the Vjody, but by John 4, the advances of the heart. For He Himself says, The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet ver. 23, at Jerusalem worship the Father. And a little after, the true worshippers shall worshij) the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father also seeketh such to worshijj Him.
Thus he implies that the steps are in the heart, when He both bids us that we should come, and yet declares that it is not at all by the motion of the body that we pass to other things. Now the Lord so ' views the ways' of each one, and so ^ counts all his steps,' that by His Judgment not even the minutest thoughts or the very slightest words, which have become insignificant in our eyes from use.
Mat. 5, remain unexamined into. Thus hence He says, Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the Judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. ' Raca' in the Hebrew speech is a word of inteijection, which indeed shews the temper of one who is angry, but does not give forth a full word of anger. Thus anger without utterance is first blamed, then anger with utterance, but not yet shaped by a complete word, and at last also when it is said. Thou fool, anger is reproved, which, along with excess of the voice, is fulfilled by the perfecting of speech as well. And it is to be noted that He tells that by anger he is ' in danger of the judgment;' by a voice of anger, which is ' Raca,' ' in danger of the council;' and by a word of the voice, which is ' Thou fool,' in danger of hell fire. For by the steps of offence, the order of the sentence increased, because in ' the judgment' the case is still under examination, but in the council the sentence of the case is now determining,' while ' in the fire of heir the sentence, which proceeds from the council, is fulfilled. And therefore because of human actions ' the Lord counts up the steps' with exact scrutiny, anger without the voice is made over * to the judgment,' but anger in the God judges our ways, good and evil, exactly. 523 voice * to the council,' and anger in speech and voice to ' the Book fire of hell. This exactness of His scanning the Prophet had beheld, when he said, 0 most strong, Great One, Jer. 32, Mighty Lord of hosts is Thy Name, Great in counsel, and ^^' ^^' Blighty in work, for Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of Adam; to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his devices.
10. Thus the Lord scans those ways with exact scrutiny, that in each one of us He should neither pass over those good points that there are for Him to recompense, nor leave without rebuke the evil things, that are doubtless displeasing to Him. For hence it is that the Angel of Ihe Church of Pergamos He at once commends in some things, and in some rebukes, saying, I know thy works and where thou dwellest, K^oc.'ij even where Satan^s seat is: and thou holdest fast My Name, ^^' ^^' and hast not denied My faith. And a little while after; But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam. Hence it is said to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira, / know thy ver. 19. works, and thy charity, and faith, and service, and thy ^ ' patience; and thy last works to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee; because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, ivhich calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Observe how He records good things, nor yet lets go without penance evil things, that require to be cut off, surely because He so views the ways of each, and so takes account of their steps, ' counting them up,' that by exact counting He thoroughly estimates both how far each one is advancing to what is good, or how far, by deviating to what is evil, he may contravene his advances. For the increase of merits which is heightened by the aims of a good life, is very often held back by a mixture of evil, and the good which the mind builds up by practising it overthrows by committing other things. Whence holy men tie themselves up with greater nicety in the thought of the heart in proportion as they see that they are more searchingly scanned by the Judge Above. For they sift the mind through and through, they seek to find if they have done wrong in aught, that they may be rendered the more 524 Christ the ' even balance^ for weiyhituj our deeds.
Job 3i,uiiblarneablc to the Judge, in proportion as daily and williout ^' ^' ceasing tliey blame their own selves. Not, hovvever, that they already derive from this circumstance the delights of security, because they see that they are beheld by Him, Who beholds in them those things as well, which they are not themselves able to see in themselves. And indeed blessed Job among those of" old time maintained the life of perfectness, but because by the spirit of prophecy the stretch of his eye breaks forth to the Advent of the Redeemer, in that Redeemer's precepts he for himself reflects how many things belonging to perfection he is short of Whence he also adds; Ver. 5, 6. //' / have ivalked in vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; let Him weigh me in an even balance, and let God know mine integrity. vi. 11.' God to know' is said for His making us to know by a JVIyst. customary mode olour speech, who speak of a happy day,' by which it happens that we are made happy. For hence it is the Gen. 22 Lord saith to Abraham, Now I know that thou fear est God, 12. Yqx it is not that the Creator of the periods of time learnt any thing from time, but His knowing is His affording the knowledge to us by the instant of each particular case emerging. But who is there represented by the name of ' balances,' saving tbe Mediator between God and man? In Whom all our merits are weighed with an even scale, and in Whose precepts we find what we have short in our "own life. Now we are weighed in these balances as often as we are incited after the examples of His life. Thus it is lience ^that it is 1 Pet. 2, written; Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, I3 ^^' that ye shoidd follow His steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; Who ivhen He teas reviled, reviled not again, ivhen He suffered. He threatenednot. Hence Heb.i2 it is said by Paul, Let us run with patience the race that is 1- 2' set before us: looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Who for the glory set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame. Accordingly to this end the Lord appeared in the flesh, that the life of man He might by dealing admonitions arouse, by giving examples kindle, by suffering death redeem, by rising again renew. And so whereas blessed Job finds in himself nothing justly deserving Job desires to see his J'nults ilirough His appearing. 525 to be blamed, he extends the eyes of the mind to the life of Hook XXI the Redeemer, which surpasses all things, that he may leai'n 1 by that how much he comes short, where he says, If I have ivalked in vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; let Him weigh me in an even balance, and let God know my simpleneas. As though he said in plain speech; Mf I have ever done aught lightly, if ever mischievously, may the Mediator between God and man appear, that in His life 1 may read whether I myself am really and truly simple.' For as we have said, he who had surpassed the men of his own times, sought for the Mediator between God and man, that by being weighed in Him he might find out whether he truly maintained a life of simplicity. Therefore let him say, Let Him weigh me in an even balance, and let God know my simpleness, which means, ' let Him cause me to know.* As though he made open confession, saying, ' As far as to the measure of man's life, I see now no points in myself deserving to be found fault with, but except the Mediator between God and man appear accompanied with the precepts of an exactor life, I discover not how much I am at variance with true simplicity.' Now the right order is observed if the foot be said first to have * hasted on in vanity,' and afterwards ' in deceit' For ' vanity' bears relation to levity, but ' deceit' to wickedness, kxxd. there are often persons, who are brought afterwards to things mischievous, because they do not in the first instance avoid what is light. It goes on; Ver. 7. If my step hath turned out of the way.
12. So many times does ' the step go out of the way,' as vii. our thought quits the way of the right, by the consenting of wandering. Now we as it were set as many ' steps out of the way,' as we are parted by bad desires from the delightfulness of the heavenly life. For as we have before stated, Vjeing still borne down by the load of corruptible flesh, we are not able to live in such a manner as that not any enjoyment of sin should be able to strike us. But it is one thing for the mind to be touched against its will, and another to be killed whilst consenting. But holy men guard themselves with more watchful solicitude in proportion as they take shame for being assaulted by the misdirected motions even of passing gratification. And hence it is yet further added; 5*26 The eye may mislead the heart, or the heart the eye.
Job 31, And if mine eye hath followed mine heart.
— tt: — 13, See again how by the keeping of inward vigour he Hist, '"eturns to the training of the outward members, that if the Moral, heart should perchance covet aught forbidden, the eye being kept down by the tutorage of discipline may refuse to look at it. For as it often happens that temptation is derived through the eyes, so sometimes being conceived inwardly it forces the eyes to do service to it outwardly. Thus very often an object is regarded by a mind in a state of innocence, but by that mere look the mind is pierced through by the sword of concupiscence. For it was not (as we have already remarked for the sake of illustration) that David in this way looked of purpose on the wife of Uriah, because he had entertained the desire of her; but rather he lusted after her for this cause, because he beheld her without caution. But it happens by an inquest of right recompensing, that he who employs the external eye carelessly, is not unjustly blinded in the interior eye. Now oftentimes concupiscence rules in the interior, and the mind being seduced, after the manner of a despotism requires the senses of the body to drudge to its occasions, and obliges the eyes to serve its pleasures, and so to say opens the window of light to the dark of blindness. Hence holy men, when they feel themselves to be assailed by a wrong enjoyment, by the tutorage of discipline they withhold the very eyes themselves by which the likeness of the shape is introduced into the mind, lest the sight acting the pander should do the bidding of unhallowed thought.
Which same if it ever be forborne to be guarded with nice particularity, uncleanness of thought presently passes into execution. Hence too it is directly added; And if any blot hath cleaved to my hands. ix. 14. Thus the holy man, knowing well that very often wrong thought comes into the mind through the eyes, said a little above; / made a covenant with mine eyes that I would not even think on a maid. Reflecting likewise that sometimes it springs up in the mind, while on its springing up so the eyes wickedly do service to it, he says, If mine eye hath followed mine heart. As though he said in plain speech, ' Neither did I wish to see in general things I might long after, nor in looking did I ever follow after the things Job slijied si/t in flie ihonght. His hands pure. 527 that I longed for.' So then let him say, If mine eye hath Book followed mine heart. Because even if his mind as being _ 1 human ever did conceive aught unlawful, his eyes, bound down by the tutoring of higher discipline, it would not should follow it in things forbidden, and drudge to its service. Let us consider our own consciences with reference to these points, and what height this man was of let us see from the sunkenness of our own breast. See, if he did occasionally imagine things unlawful, because he speedily dispatched them within the depths of the heart with the sword of holy vigour, he suffered them not to reach so far as to deeds. Hence as we have set down before, he thereupon adds; And if any blot hat It cleaved to my hands. For when does a blot cleave to the hands, i. e. sin to the actions, which sin the censorship of discipline did not suffer to make progress in thought r For neither is sin permitted to issue into act, if it be despatched inwardly where it has its birth. But if there is not a speedy resisting of temptation springing up in the heart, it is strengthened by that very delay by which it is fed, and coming forth without in deeds, it is with difficulty able to be overcome, because the very mistress of the members, the mind within, it holds a captive. Now because the holy man had brought forward all the particulars conditionally, ifhe had ever been guilty of these, he binds himself with a sentence of malediction, saying; Ver. 8. Then let me sow, and let another eat; let my offspring be rooted out.
15. After the manner of Sacred Revelation we call it to ^ sow' x. to preach the words of life. Thus it is hence the Prophet '^^^^^^ says. Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters. For the Is- 32, preachers of Holy Church he saw to ' sow upon all waters' because they bestowed the words of life, like grains of heavenly bread, upon all peoples far and wide. But to ' eat' is to be filled to the full with good works. Hence Truth saith by Itself; My meat is to do the will of Him That sent John 4, Me. So then, if the things that he gave forth, he forbore to^^' do, he says; Then let me sow, and another eat. As though he said in plain words; ' What my mouth utters let not me but another man put in practice.' For the preacher who in his ways is at variance with his own words, sows going 528 Godjitdfies heiueen teachers as Solomon between mothers. Job 3i,luinmv what another may cat; because he is not himself ("(mI 8.
Alleg.
V)y His own seed, when by wrong conduct he is made void of the rightness of his word. And because it very often happens that the disciples hear what is good to no purpose, when by the life of the master it is destroyed by the example of actions, it is rightly subjoined; yea, let my offsprbu) he rooted out.
16. For ' the offspring' of the teacher is 'rooted out,' when he who is born by the word, is killed by the example, because him whom the heeding tongue begets, heedlessness of the life kills. For neither should we pass over with an I Kings insensible mind, that in Solomon the woman killed in sleep- ' ' ing the child, whom she was used to suckle being awake; in this way, because masters awake indeed in knowledge, but asleep in life, upon their hearers, whom they nourish by the watches of preaching, whilst they neglect to do the things that they say, through the sleep of insensibility inflict death, and by neglecting overlaj^ those whom they appeared to be feeding with the milk of words. Hence generally whilst they live themselves in a blameable way, they are at once unable to have disciples of a praiseworthy life, and endeavour to draw over the disciples of others to themselves, that so, whilst they shew themselves to have good followers, in the judgments of men they may excuse the evil things that they do, and as it were by the life of those under them cover their deathdealing negligence. Whence in that place the woman, because she had killed her own, sought for another's child. Yet the sword of Solomon discovered the true mother, because surely what man's fruit may live or what man's die, the wrath of the Strict Judge in the final Judgment brings to light. Where this too is to be regarded with a discreet eye, that the child is first bidden to be divided whilst living, in order that afterwards it may be restored to the mother only, because in this life the disciples' life is in a manner allowed to be divided, whereas it is sometimes the case that from that life one man is permitted to have merit with God, and another man to have praise with men.